Bright Ideas Summit

Y12 Business Innovation students and a range of Digital Technology students from Years 12 to 9 attended the Bright Ideas Summit, held at the Adelaide Town Hall. Students heard from some of Australia’s most exciting and inspiring innovators and changemakers, including; Dr Trudy Lin – SA Young Australian of the Year 20202, Monu Chamlagai -2020 Young Citizen of the Year and Callam MacPherson – Founder, Young Blood Media.

“It was great to listen to the guest speakers,
how their situations were all different and how their experiences inspired them to be innovative. They said it isn’t an easy path, but it is rewarding when you persist with something that is meaningful to you.” Emma Fyfe 9GL and Charlotte Delaere 9JV

Nicole Dyson, Founder and CEO of Future Anything, facilitated hands on activities throughout the day in which groups of students brainstormed problems, selected one and developed a solution.

“It was good to collaborate with students from other schools, once the ice had been broken, we all jumped in and shared ideas.”
Monique Oakes 12MB

Towards the end of the day, groups submitted a draft pitch to judges Andrew Nunn- SA Chief Entrepreneur and Sandy Verschoor- Lord Mayor, City of Adelaide who then selected the top ten groups to present their pitch on stage. Six of the ten groups selected all included students from St Aloysius College.

One team, consisting of Sienna Rosenbauer 12RH, Isobel Leviton 12RH, Banen Ahmady 12MB, Portia Novosel 12MB and two students from another school won equal first! Their group looked at making an alternative single use bio plastic made out of seaweed. Whilst this is currently being done on a small scale, the target audience for their pitch was big businesses because they often individually wrap products on a large scale, rather than marketing the average household and hence, making a bigger impact on the world. Their approach was to build on the thinking of others and sparking a new idea.

Ms Joanne Villis
Digital Technologies Coordinator

Ms Linda Sarunic
Business Innovation Teacher

Bright Ideas Summit